Pray for Me
Reks Lyrics
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Yo. Dear hip hop. (Statik Selektah) Don't take this shit too seriously y'all
Yeah, shit got me stressed out man. I know y'all stressed out too
All y'all sick and tired of this bullshit man.
"His eyes said pray for me
I'll do you one better and slay these niggas faithfully" - Jay-Z 'Dead Presidents II'
[Verse One]
And a burner to the brain
So forgive me if the words come across a bit strange
This a suicide note, last words to the game
Nas was right, shit got to change
Unless we said B.I.G. died in vain
And Pac died in vain
Been too high on rims to see the writin' on the train
How can Lupe complain?
When his Fiasco, at a rap show to honor rap greats is too blame
From rap music dying in a box, sales dying on the charts
The art's missin', it's heart beat stopped
Master P sold us out
Talkin' 'bout I should stop saying "nigga"
Fuck that! They brought this nigga out
This is freedom of speech nigga
The arson's in the house
Burn your white house down with Bush twins on the couch
I ain't come here to +Crank dat+ Joc or +Walk It Out+
Either I'm blind, or hip hop is dyin' in the south
And I love Face, Bun B, Cass and Goodie Mob
But I miss +Scenario+, +Make 'Em Pay+ and +How To Rob+
New York is too blame
Where I'm from, we look to New york for what's poppin'
Now New York's droppin'
And I'm talking everything
No more classic shit
No more +Shook Ones+ to blast in the whip
Com, +I Used To Love H.E.R.+ too, now I'm like fuck this bitch
Rap's old, new Grey Hairs shit
If this is what makes Mims Hot
And this is why I'm not
Put a bullet in my brain, bury me with 2pac
Put a needle in my vein
So I could ride next to Kurt Cobain
Physical will die but the soul will remain
Raps wack too many fake Eminems
Too many white boys, dye there hair blond and try to rhyme like him
Everybody wanna pick up the pen
Try to get in the booth
No motivation, you killing the youth
Bill O'Reily don't respect Jay-Z in no suit
You still a coon in they eyes
I hope you soon realize
Hip hop's aging and I'm at it's side
Tryin' to aid through the ride
Fuck this man
[Outro]
Don't get too offended y'all. Step your game up
In the intro of the song "Pray for Me," Reks expresses his frustration with the state of hip hop and how it is no longer what it used to be. He then quotes Jay-Z's lyrics "His eyes said pray for me, I'll do you one better and slay these niggas faithfully" to demonstrate that this is not just his personal problem but something that is affecting the entire industry. Reks declares that he is writing this with "ether in the lungs, and a burner to the brain," which insinuates that he is in a state of anger and disappointment. He further states that this is a suicide note, his final words to the game, because he feels that the art form has lost its heart and it’s only going to deteriorate if change is not initiated. He attacks the idea of artists, particularly of new age hip hop, being too consumed with fame and sales, and the abundance of fake Eminems and carbon copy artists trying to mimic the stars of the past. He adds that he misses the classic hip hop songs and styles like "Scenario," "Make 'Em Pay" and "How To Rob" because they had substance and a message, unlike the music that is being produced today.
In verse one, he further criticizes the industry, drawing attention to the deaths of rappers like B.I.G. and Pac and how it's essential to respect their legacy by continuing to create music that matters. He believes that rap music has lost its soul, and there is no heartbeat, evidenced by the decline in sales of physical copies of albums. He targets Master P, who he believes sold out, and how he was made to stop saying "nigga" while performing. Moreover, he attacks hip hop in the south, claiming that it is killing the creativity, and there is nothing classic about the music anymore. Reks feels that New York City, known for its classic and iconic hip hop, is losing its edge regarding creating rap classics. In the outro, Reks advises that his listeners should step up their game and not take hip hop too seriously.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm writing this with ether in the lungs
I'm composing this with a fiery passion.
And a burner to the brain
And with a heightened level of intensity.
So forgive me if the words come across a bit strange
So excuse me if the lyrics sound unconventional.
This a suicide note, last words to the game
This is a farewell message to the rap industry.
Nas was right, shit got to change
Nas was correct, the industry needs to change.
Unless we said B.I.G. died in vain
Otherwise Biggie's death was meaningless.
Been too high on rims to see the writin' on the train
We've been too preoccupied with materialistic pursuits to notice the warning signs.
How can Lupe complain?
Why is Lupe complaining?
From rap music dying in a box, sales dying on the charts
From the death of rap as an art form to dwindling sales figures.
The art's missin', it's heart beat stopped
The art of rap is gone; it's lost its vitality.
Master P sold us out
Master P betrayed us.
Talkin' 'bout I should stop saying 'nigga'
Telling me to stop using the term 'nigga'.
Fuck that! They brought this nigga out
To hell with that! This is my right.
This is freedom of speech nigga
This is my freedom of expression.
The arson's in the house
The fire is in the rap industry.
Burn your white house down with Bush twins on the couch
Destroying the white establishment with the Bush twins watching.
I ain't come here to +Crank dat+ Joc or +Walk It Out+
I didn't come here to dance to Joc or Walk It Out.
Either I'm blind, or hip hop is dyin' in the south
Either I'm oblivious or southern rap is declining.
And I love Face, Bun B, Cass and Goodie Mob
I appreciate Face, Bun B, Cass, and Goodie Mob.
But I miss +Scenario+, +Make 'Em Pay+ and +How To Rob+
But I miss the classics like Scenario, Make 'Em Pay, and How To Rob.
New York is too blame
New York is responsible for this mess.
Where I'm from, we look to New york for what's poppin'
Where I'm from, we look at New York for what's popular.
Now New York's droppin'
Nowadays New York isn't making good music.
And I'm talking everything
I'm talking about everything.
No more classic shit
No more classic music.
No more +Shook Ones+ to blast in the whip
No more Shook Ones to play in the car.
Com, +I Used To Love H.E.R.+ too, now I'm like fuck this bitch
Even Common's I Used To Love H.E.R. seems irrelevant now.
Rap's old, new Grey Hairs shit
Rap is outdated.
If this is what makes Mims Hot
If this is what makes Mims popular.
And this is why I'm not
And this is why I'm not successful.
Put a bullet in my brain, bury me with 2pac
I'd rather die and be buried with 2pac.
Put a needle in my vein
Inject me with heroin.
So I could ride next to Kurt Cobain
So I could join Kurt Cobain in death.
Physical will die but the soul will remain
The physical body will die but the essence will still live on.
Raps wack too many fake Eminems
Rap music is terrible because there are too many phony Eminems.
Too many white boys, dye there hair blond and try to rhyme like him
Too many Caucasian males trying to copy Eminem's style.
Everybody wanna pick up the pen
Everybody wants to be a rapper.
Try to get in the booth
Trying to get into a recording studio.
No motivation, you killing the youth
No inspiration, you're harming the younger generation.
Bill O'Reily don't respect Jay-Z in no suit
Bill O'Reilly doesn't respect Jay-Z when he's dressed nicely.
You still a coon in they eyes
You're still a sellout in their eyes.
I hope you soon realize
I hope you realize soon.
Hip hop's aging and I'm at it's side
Hip hop is getting old and I'm supporting it.
Tryin' to aid through the ride
Trying to help it endure.
Fuck this man
Enough of this.
Don't get too offended y'all. Step your game up
Don't take it personally; improve your skills.
Contributed by Kylie F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@777matterz
One of the most underrated rappers
@immortalradar
Somebody else looking forward to when music like this is played on the radio again?
@mikegriffen4934
Welp, its been a decade and things are way worse...so...yeah...
@joeariados5618
@@mikegriffen4934 i was just gunna say 9 yeara n still waiting lmao
@lp211_
lol
@texas14liam
Real hip hop ain't dead, you just gotta know where to look.
@wisdom360
Reks is one of the very few true emcees to come around the past few years.
@Merritt_Maverick
this song is so sick and true...the instrumental, lyrics and everything is on point...."I didn't come here to crank dat-jockk, or walk it out. either I'm blind or hip hop dyin' in the south" "And I love face, bumbeat, cass, and goody mob but i miss scenario, make em pay, and how to rob"
@jebus272
Reks is great!!!! He is taking hip hop back to the old days, with him going R-E-K-S and the beats are good.. Rock on Reks
@dalygirard
Hip Hop Is Alive as far as REKS is concerned..Kid you killin it - got crazy flow